The Little Things We Do
by EtichaErix
Summary: Ginny mets someone outside Snape's classroom that she never thought she could talk to. But what do the rest of the students think of this?
1. Little things

It was the end of their Potions lesson, and Professor Severus Snape finally let them go. With a deep sigh, Ginny picked up the pile of homework, almost kneeling from the weight of it. The seventh years were coming into the classroom, making Ginny feel very small. The Slytherins whispered and pointed at her, at her red hair.

"Look at that," someone said. "It's one of the Weasels." The Gryffindors, almost all of them friends to her brother Ron and Harry Potter, gave her a pat on the shoulder.

"Don't mind them, Ginny," they said and took their places by the desks.

"Are you coming, Gin?" Luna Lovegood asked irritably. The Ravenclaw student was standing in the doorway, wanting for her. She frowned.

"You can't take all day, you know, the others are about to start their lesson."

"Yeah, Luna, just give me a sec," Ginny answered. "I'll just take my things." She heard Luna sigh and hurried after her. Carrying all her things in her arms, she could see very little and almost hit the doorway. Outside the dungeon, Ginny heard Harry and Ron, who were coming directly from their History of Magic class. They were talking very fast and seemed annoyed over a thing that the ghost and History of Magic- teacher Professor Binns had talked about.

"And he just went on and on about that stupid Goblin-war, I bet nobody except Hermione will remember anything of it on the exams..."

That was Ron, her elder brother and the only Weasley attending at Hogwarts except herself. And his friend, Harry Potter.

"Be happy that he just went on and on, Ron, McGonagall said that we have to be more careful now that we have entered the more difficult parts of Transfiguration. Not to talk about Snape, he wants to give us all a D, that's for sure..."

They came running around the corner, and Harry almost ran into Ginny.

"Oops, I'm sorry, Gin!" Harry called to her while he was hurrying into Snape's classroom, and slammed the door shut. Professor Snape's cold voice greeted the seventh years, and as the Potions lesson began, Ginny could hear the students sigh deeply.

Ginny sighed too and drew her hand through her red hair. She had forgotten to put it up into a tail this morning, and as it soon was lunch, she didn't bother too much. She would run up to her dormitory and fetch a hair slide. She got blinded for a second and couldn't see where she was going. She got the irritating hair out of the way, and heard Luna shout at her, "Okay, Ginny, I'm out of here. I have to run if I'm going to get to the library in time!"

"Yeah, all right!" Ginny yelled back. She opened her bag to look for her diary, the one that Harry, Ron and Hermione had given her last Christmas. She loved it, mostly because they had guaranteed her that it was _not_ affected by Lord Voldemort. She'd had a thing for diaries all since her first year at Hogwarts. A bit stupid, really, but what could she do?

She found the little book at the bottom of her bag, and picked it up to pocket it. She fumbled with her robe, trying to get both it and the bag out of the way. She didn't look where she was going, and once more the hair got in her face.

Suddenly she heard footsteps, and she bumped into someone, who cursed her as if she was the Devil herself. She fell to the floor, and, finally removing her hair while rubbing her back, she looked right up in the face of Draco Malfoy, who, obviously, was late to Potions.

"Look where you're going, Weasel," he snarled. She stared at him, still sitting on the floor with all her books, quills and inkbottles all around her.

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" he sighed and reached out a hand to help her up. She took it and got to her feet. She looked at him, with a thousand thoughts whirling around in her head. One of them suddenly struck her; his eyes were grey. That was actually the first thing she realized when she took a good look at him. Grey and warm, not so cold and ironic, as she would have imagined. They showed not despite, not compassion, but something else. Something warm.

Then her senses caught up with her. She could feel the warmth from his body, the warmth from his breath. They were standing close together, and she felt his scent; a light, masculine scent all around him. His breathing was a bit fast; his eyes were bright and the beautiful curve of his lower lip and chin made her feel a bit off track. She seemed to have lost all ability to talk.

Suddenly, the door to Snape's classroom flung open and Professor Snape looked out in the corridor. He frowned when he caught sight of them.

"Mr Malfoy, get in here immediately!" he snapped. "And Ms Weasley! I believe that you have another lesson to get to?"

He slammed the door shut and the connection that Ginny thought she had felt between her and Malfoy was completely lost.

"Get out of my way, Weasley," he snarled, avoiding her eyes. She threw him an amazed look, but sat down on her knees, picking up the papers, books and quills from the stone floor. She could hear him walk to the door, then his footsteps were gone and she assumed that he had walked into the classroom. But suddenly he kneeled at her side, helping her collect all her things.

"My God, you have a lot of things in that bag," he mumbled, and gave her a pile of papers.

"It's my life," she answered, and blushed when she realized how pathetic that had sounded. But he smiled.

"Welcome to the world of Hogwarts, Weasel." He looked at his wristwatch. "You've made me late," he said, looking up at her. "Again," he added.

"Run, then," she said, and turned her back at him. "Thanks for your help." She felt his hand on her shoulder.

"You're welcome, Ginny."

Their eyes met and they couldn't let go of each other. He leaned forwards, hesitated, and then kissed her hastily on the mouth. He withdrew, and hurried down the corridor, opening the door to the classroom and received an angry Snape shouting at him. Before he closed the door, he looked at Ginny and smiled. She smiled back at him, then turned around and walked back along the corridor, feeling very satisfied.


	2. Ron gets a shock

She looked at her wristwatch. She had lunch now, maybe she should to go to the library and talk to Luna? She walked up to the Entrance Hall, and into the Great Hall. Luna sat by the Ravenclaw table, but hurried across the Hall towards her when she saw Ginny sit down by the Gryffindor table.

"Why are you looking so happy?" she said, and sat down next to her. Ginny looked up hastily, and smiled.

"Well, you know... it's lunch."

"You can't fool me, Ginevra Weasley! You've done something."

"Done what?" Ginny said, still smiling. "I haven't done anything."

"Come on, tell me!" Luna shouted. Several students in the Hall turned their heads to see what caused the noise, and Luna lowered her voice.

"It's nothing," Ginny said, and finished her lunch. "How was the library?"

Luna looked at her for a long time, and then she shook her head.

"It was okay. But Gin, _please_!" Ginny took her friend by the hand and dragged her out through the Hall, out in the Entrance Hall and out on the grounds. It was a couple of days before Halloween, and it was freezing outside. And there she told Luna what had happened.

Harry took a deep breath and leaned back in his armchair. Sure, he liked to be at Hogwarts, he actually loved it, but sometimes it felt as though he was trapped in a roundabout – he couldn't go the one way or the other, because everyone was staring at him and wanted a piece of him. Ron, Hermione, and Hagrid – no one understood the way he felt. Well, that was perhaps not really the truth; someone had understood the way he felt. Sirius had known, but that was too late for that now. Harry suddenly wished with all of his heart that he had had a chance to talk seriously with his godfather, but no. Sirius Black was dead, and therefore the opportunity to discuss things with him was gone.

Harry closed his eyes, tried to think if something else. But all that was needed was to hear Sirius' name, then it all flooded him. On the inside of his eyelid it all came before him – how his godfather had fallen backwards behind the curtains and didn't reappear. The ache in his chest became harder, more painful, and a tear fell down his cheek.

"Harry? Are you alright?"

He opened his eyes and tried to focus on the dark shadow in front of him.

"Hermione?" he said, not believing his eyes. "What are you doing here?"

Hermione snorted and sat down next to him by the table.

"What do you think, Harry? I was worried, and Ron couldn't explain how you seemed to feel, so I thought that I would check myself."

"Weirdo." Harry suddenly smiled and hugged his friend. "I'm glad you're here, Hermione. Ron's all right, but I mean... you can't talk to him about some things."

"I so know what you mean," Hermione said, looked slightly aback after Harry's hug. "But what do you mean about some things?"

Harry felt his cheeks go red.

"You know – things like... love. I mean, yeah, Ron understands how I mean, but he can't explain to me why girls do what they do."

"When it comes to that, Ron gets frightened. Just as when he sees a spider."

Harry smiled for a bit, but became serious again.

"And then there's – well, Sirius."

"Oh Harry," Hermione said with a soft voice. "You really miss him, don't you?"

"It's silly, I know," Harry answered. "But sometimes, it feels like it happened yesterday, and not nearly two years ago."

"Yes. I know what you mean," Hermione said. "But we can't do anything."

"I know." Harry sighed deeply. Then he changed subject.

"What's the matter with Ginny?" Hermione, looking startled for a moment, caught up with him.

"I don't know. It seems like she's in love, but it's not Dean Thomas, or anyone else I know."

"As long as it isn't Malfoy, I don't care." Harry's green eyes turned black.

Earlier that day, Draco Malfoy had played him a joke. Malfoy had thrown a Furnunculus-spell at him. It had hit him in the face and boils had covered his face and arms. After help by Ron, he had run to the Hospital wing, where Madam Pomfrey had made a simple boil cure potion. After drinking it, Harry had felt like an idiot.

"Well, what could you do if it _was_ Malfoy, Harry?" Hermione said. "But I agree that it was a very nasty thing to do, casting Furnunculus-spells at people. But on the other hand, the boil cure potion _is_ very simple, isn't it? I mean, we did it in our first year."

"Yeah," Harry mumbled. He changed position in his armchair. "But it still hurts." Hermione nodded.

"Yes, I understand that. Well, now, where is Ron? I haven't seen him since dinner."

She looked around the room, and caught sight of Ginny coming into the common room through the portrait hole. Her face was red, and she looked angry. Suddenly, the portrait flung open again, and Ron climbed inside. Hermione jumped to her feet, and called to him:

"Ron, we're here!" Ron looked at her and shouted;

"Not now, Hermione!" Then he spotted Ginny.

"Ginevra! Get back here now! GINNY!" Ginny ran towards the stairs to the girls' dormitory. Ron ran after her, but when he entered the stairs, it transformed itself to a stone slide, and Ron sailed to the bottom of it and landed hard on the floor.

"Ron!" Harry got to his feet and helped his friend up. "What's the matter?"

Ron stared at him for a moment with dizzy eyes, and then he shook his head and looked angry. "It's Ginny," he said.

"Yes, we understand that,"Hermione said. "But what's with Ginny?"

"I saw her kiss Draco Malfoy!" Ron sneered. Both Hermione's and Harry's jaws dropped.

"Yeah, precisely," Ron said. "Draco Malfoy! Of all people on Hogwarts, she had to choose him!"

Hermione hastily looked at Harry. Harry's eyes had turned black.

"Did it look like she was doing it out of free will?" he said, and stared at the stair to the girl's dormitory.

"Believe me, it did!" Ron said angrily. "Actually, _she_ was the one who did the kissing in the first place!" Hermione laughed. Both Harry and Ron turned to look at her.

"Oh _please_!" she said, wiping of the tears from her face. "I know you two don't like Malfoy, but if he likes Ginny and Ginny likes him, can't you guys let it all go then?" She sat down by the table again.

"You saw what he did to me today!" Harry nearly shouted. "Should I let it all go then?"

Ron, looking shocked, turned to look at Harry. His eyes narrowed.

"And why are you so interested in the whole thing?"

Harry couldn't answer that. The beginning of a row hanged like an unfinished sentence in the air.

"Come on, Ron, he's just as concerned as you are," Hermione said, and turned up her eyes. "You two can be really childish, you know that?"

The two of them stared at her.

"Well, _I _think it's just good for her. She hasn't had a boyfriend for almost a year now, and if it has to be Malfoy, well – then so it is!"

"Merlin's beard!" Ron growled. "I thought that you would know what I mean – his father's a scum!"

"Yeah, so? I don't see you taking after someone, so give me one good reason that he would."

"He's a Malfoy, Hermione," Harry interrupted them. "And the Malfoys are the same, all of them. I believe Draco proved that today pretty good himself."

"Oh for heaven's sake!" Hermione sighed, and got to her feet again. She disappeared up to the girl's dormitory. Ron and Harry still stood up, looking after her. Ron sank down on the closest chair and hid his face in his hands. Harry sat down next to him, not sure of what to do.

"Oh my good..." he heard Ron sigh.

"What?" Harry couldn't help himself, he just had to ask. Ron looked up hastily, and then looked down again.

"I still can't get used to the thought of Ginny and Draco together." He shuddered. "What a horrible thought!"

Harry smiled vaguely.

"I agree. I mean, Ginny and Malfoy... More likely Draco and Pansy Parkinson."

Ron looked up at him with a broad smile on his face. A second later they were laughing. The idea of Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson seemed so "out of space", neither Ron nor Harry could come to think of the idea to come close to Pansy – not even if she had wanted them to. To tell the truth, Pansy hated them as much as they hated Slytherin. But, on the other hand and not to forget, Pansy had been Malfoy's date at the Yule ball in their fourth year.

When they had stopped laughing, they sat still for a couple of minutes, Harry thinking of Sirius and Ron thinking about the Ginny/Draco matter. When Ron finally stood up, yawning and stretching, Harry still sat down.

"Are you coming up?" Ron said, but Harry shook his head.

"No, I've still got some things I haven't done yet," he replied. Ron yawned once more and walked up the stairs to their dormitory.

"See you later, then!"

"Yeah, good night!" Harry called back. He hadn't any things to do, he just wanted to sit there alone and think. Think of Sirius, and of Ginny. Was he jealous? Or was it just because he didn't like Draco Malfoy...


	3. Facing the troubles

Draco was frustrated. Suddenly, it all seemed so crazy. So…stupid.

He shook his head. For one thing, why had he kissed Ginny in the middle of the corridor, where everybody could see it? He was standing in the corridor outside the dungeons. He was heading for the Slytherin common room, but had stopped to think.

He hit the stonewall behind him in anger. With his fist aching, he could concentrate better on the matter.

"This is ridiculous!" he muttered. "It can't go on for ever!"

Then he smiled. It seemed incredible that he had found someone he really liked, and someone who actually liked him back for real. When he remembered the tense in their kiss, he almost blushed – a very rare thing for the Slytherin – student. But it was all because of her. His grey eyes became softer when he thought about her.

"For a sixth-year student, she's very attractive," he thought. "Bad luck that her brother can't stand the sight of me – or I him."

He heard footsteps behind him. He turned around and saw Crabbe and Goyle coming towards him. He moaned, he didn't want to talk to them now. They were so slow. Sometimes he wondered if they had anything in their brains except cobweb. Probably not.

"Malfoy," Crabbe and Goyle grunted and leaned to the wall next to him.

"Crabbe, Goyle," Draco said coolly. "I assume that dinner was good?" he continued after a quick look at his wristwatch. "I was finished about half an hour ago."

"Skip the talking, Draco," Crabbe said. "We want to talk to you."

"Yeah, that's right," said Goyle and came closer.

"About what?" Draco said. His mouth was dry out of fear, but his grey eyes showed nothing.

"About you and that Weasley-girl," Crabbe said and grinned nastily. "You do realise that we might have to report this to Professor Snape?" Draco frowned slightly.

"How's that?" he said. His eyes shone with a strange lustre. "What Weasley-girl?"

"That Weasley's sister." If Draco's complexion hadn't been so pale, you would have thought that he was going to faint. He was pale as a sheet. His cold grey eyes nailed Crabbe and Goyle to the wall.

"What about her?" he hissed.

"She's been around you a lot lately," Crabbe said. "We don't like that."

"You can't do anything about me and Ginny Weasley," Draco said.

"Yeah, you know what," Goyle said and leaned against him. "Watch us."

Draco's face turned pearly white, and he almost looked like one of the Hogwarts' ghosts.

"You can't!" he spat out with a hard voice. Both Crabbe and Goyle smirked at him. Draco turned around and started walking fast through the corridor up to the Entrance Hall. He heard his former friends laugh at him.

When he came up to the Entrance Hall, he cursed and swore, he almost hit a first-year in the face before he remembered that he was a prefect. He couldn't behave like this.

He started walking up the stairs and headed for the library on the forth floor. Then he sat in the library for half an hour, and then Madam Prince threw him out. He then walked around in the castle thinking about his situation. Suddenly he heard a voice behind him.

"Malfoy!" He turned around to see who it was. It was Harry Potter.

Harry walked up to him, his green eyes flaming.

"How dare you!" he shouted, causing that several portraits started to look at them. Draco sighed.

"Not you too," he said tiredly. "I've already been run over by Weasley today. Isn't that enough?"

"What are you doing with Ginny, Malfoy?" Harry said angrily and swooped his untidy hair away from his face.

"Nothing illegal, _father_," Draco said sarcastically.

"Shut up!" Harry yelled. "You're dating her, you son of a bastard!"

"So?" Draco said. "She's dating me too, if you haven't noticed. And why are you suddenly so keen of checking her every move?"

Harry suddenly blushed.

"That's none of your business," he said. "But what are you doing outside our common room?" he continued. "You are not allowed in there."

"I'm not going in there, if that's what you're thinking," Draco said and frowned. "I'm looking for Ginny. I have something to tell her."

"What?" Harry demanded to know. "I can tell her."

Draco stared at him. "You? You'd do me a favour?"

"It depends on what it is."

"Tell her, Harry. She needs to know."

"What is it, then?"

"Tell her that we can't see each other anymore. Crabbe and Goyle know about it, and they're going to see Professor Snape. If Ginny sees me in the corridor and I'm acting differently, I would like her to know why."

"Crabbe and Goyle would really do it, wouldn't they?" Harry said quietly. He was almost frightened of the seriousness in Draco's voice.

"They aren't exactly the best of friends. I can't recall that Slytherin is a very friendly house to be in at all, actually. No one's friends there. Not like you at least. Sometimes I'm actually jealous of you, Weasley and Granger. At least you're good friends."

He stopped.

"Will you tell her?"

Harry nodded.

"Yeah, sure. But not because you're asking me to, Malfoy, but because I care for Ginny."

"That's fine with me," Draco said. "I'm happy if she finds out."

They looked at each other. Suddenly, Draco looked at his wristwatch.

"It's nine o'clock," he said.

"It's time for you to go down to your common room," Harry said.

Draco nodded.

"I'm not looking forward to it," he said in a dull voice. Then he turned and walked away.


	4. Knowing what to do

"Ey, Gin, what's up?"

Ginny looked up, surprised by the voice and the person suddenly crashing down next to her in an armchair in the Gryffindor common room. She saw one of her older brothers, Ron, sit in it.

"Hey, Ron", she said and tried to collect her papers that had fallen to the floor by the wind when Ron had sat down. "How are things?"

"Terrible!" Ron moaned dramatically and covered his face with one hand. "Can you believe that Parvati actually turned down my request about taking her to the Yule Ball?"

"I don't see why she shouldn't." She added: "And if you don't help me with this soon I'm going to hit you. And what happened to Hermione? Weren't you guys supposed to go together?" Ron suddenly got very red in the face and he didn't look at his sister, but he helped her to collect the papers and put them neatly in a pile.

"Well…" he said, "I kind of asked her today, and she said that she already had a date. But then she refused to tell me who she was going with!"

"Oh, poor ickle Ronny", Ginny said sarcastically. "She didn't? Well, I am _not_ surprised. Do you know how you've been treating her lately?" Ron suddenly looked very hurt.

"Me?" he said. "What about you and Malfoy then? I don't see you two jumping around."

"Will you shut up!" Ginny hissed, and ran her hand through the red hair. "I don't want everyone to know about it."

"Harry's hurt, you know. I thought that you liked him."

"I do! But not in that way, anymore. And what do you mean 'Harry's hurt'? I don't care about how he's feeling at the moment. It's not like he's not having any girlfriends, is it? I mean, he had Cho, and…"

"That was in our fifth year, Gin. It was two years ago."

"So? Do you guys forget so easily?" Ron sank down into his armchair again.

"Speaking of guys and forgetting… Where is Malfoy? I haven't seen that idiot hanging around here lately. Has he forgotten about you? Because if he has, then I will kick his…"

"Thanks, I understand!" Ginny interrupted. "Thanks for you concern, Ron, but this is up to me and Draco. Please, will you let it go?" She picked up her books and walked toward the girl's dormitory. There she turned around. "And by the way, ask Luna. She fancies you." She left Ron with a wide-open mouth.

A couple of minutes later, Harry climbed in through the portrait hole. He seemed distract about something, and when Ron called his name, he looked up in surprise. Two seconds later, Harry sat down in the same armchair where Ginny had been seated a few moments earlier.

"You haven't seen Ginny, have you?" he asked. Ron nodded.

"Yeah, just a few minutes ago. Why?"

"I need to talk with her."

"About what?" Ron sounded very surprised. Harry sighed deeply.

"About Draco Malfoy and why he can't see her anymore." Ron looked shocked.

"What did you say?"

"I know." Harry groaned. "This is terrible. Malfoy asked me to say it, but Ginny won't believe me. What can I do, really?"

Ron shook his head in disbelief. "I dunno… perhaps you ought to tell her. She deserves to know." Harry stood up, ran his hand though his hair, and walked slowly towards the dormitory.

"I'll go to bed", he said. "I need to sort this out myself."

"You'll have to do it, mate", Ron said. "You have to."

Harry just groaned and walked up the stairs. He felt miserable.


	5. Ginny's tears

About a week after Draco had spoken with Harry, Ginny walked through the corridor on her way to the Defence against the Dark Arts classroom. She had just left Luna on the third floor, where she was going to have a Charms- class. Reaching the corridor on the first floor on her way to the classroom, she heard a voice, sounding strangely similar to Draco's, she turned around to see if he really was walking behind her. But no. No Draco in sight. She sighed deeply. She hadn't seen him for more than a week, and considering the fact that he before that had met her every day, it seemed as though he was avoiding her. When she turned around a corner, she walked into someone.

"Ginny!" she heard Draco say with a surprised voice. She looked up and met his warm grey eyes.

"Draco", she smiled. "I've wanted to talk with you for a long time."

"Didn't he…" Draco started, frowning, but a slow and slightly arrogant voice interrupted him.

"Malfoy… What are you doing?"

"Shut up, Crabbe", Draco said with an irritated voice. "Leave me alone." Ginny looked over Draco's shoulder and saw Crabbe and Goyle standing there. Crabbe spoke again.

"You… you might want to consider changing house, Malfoy. No one want anyone sneaking around in the wrong common room, now, would they?" Draco threw an angry look at them, and then turned to Ginny. His eyes had turned cold and ironic again. She frowned.

"Draco…" she began, but he stopped her by pushing her aside very hard.

"Move over, Weasel. And don't – ever – call me Draco again. That's only for my _friends_." She bumped into the wall, and stared on him, with an expression of shock upon her face.

"And what am I, then? You private little…" The rest of the sentence disappeared, because Draco had thrown her a look that said everything – and nothing.

"Talk to Potter", he snarled. "That idiot will tell."

The Defence against the Dark Arts-lesson had never been so painful. Their teacher, someone Ginny never had heard the name of, weren't happy when Ginny sighed heavily for the ninth time. Then her teacher wondered with a slightly frown:

"Are you ill, Ms Weasley?" Ginny looked up, and shook her head slowly.

"Then will you please concentrate on the subject?" the woman said irritably. "Now, can somebody tell me why the 'Unforgivable curses' are unforgivable?" Ginny moaned.

On her way to the Great Hall for dinner that night, Ginny was so angry, that if it had been possible, steam would have come out from her ears. She saw Harry standing in the Entrance Hall, talking seriously with Hermione, who seemed to be very down. Ginny's anger flooded her. She walked past a few first-years who almost broke into a run when they saw her face. She stopped right in front of Harry and Hermione.

"Hello, Gin", Harry said and put an arm around Hermione. "How are you?"

"How I am?" she repeated blankly. "You ask me how I am!" Harry backed away from her anger.

"Slow down, Gin, what's the matter?" he asked anxiously.

"Why don't you tell me exactly what Draco said to you?" Ginny yelled. Hermione looked shocked on her, big tears rolling down her face. Harry seemed to feel a bit annoyed.

"Do we have to take this here?" he said instensivly. Ginny nodded furiously.

"Yes, Harry, we have to." Slowly and carefully Harry told her what Draco had said to him. Ginny's face turned red, then grey, and then faded quickly into white when her heart understood the meaning of Harry's words.

"You're – you're lying!" she said, panic stricken. Hermione put an arm around her, trying to comfort her.

"Ginny, I don't think Harry's lying. I think that's why Draco's been avoiding you."

"At least I have someone!" Ginny bellowed. "You don't have anyone!"

"Viktor Krum died last night", Hermione said calmly.

"And!"

"We were engaged." A tear came down Hermione's cheek. Ginny's anger faded away quicker than the colour of her face. She flung her arms around Hermione and hugged her tightly.

"I am so sorry, Hermione", she whispered. "Oh, I am so sorry for your loss."

"Yeah…." Ron's voice came out of nowhere. "So am I, Hermione. I know you loved him." Hermione flung around and buried her face on his shoulder. She shook of tears.

"Hermione…." Ron said in a soft voice. He looked up on Harry and Ginny. "Go away", he mouthed to them. Harry grabbed Ginny by the hand and pulled her away.

"You see?" he said angrily. "Understand why I didn't want to talk about it then?"

"I'm sorry", Ginny whispered. "Harry, I'm truly sorry, I didn't know…" Harry shook his head.

"It's okay, Ginny. She just needs to cry, and Ron's good at comforting." They walked out of the common room, walked slowly side by side out on the grounds, finally settling down near the lake.

"I just don't see it", Ginny said, and stroke the hair out of her face. "Why does he avoid me?"

"It's because of them", Harry said once again. "It's them."

"But why?"

"I don't know, Gin… You should talk with him."

"I've tried."

"Oh." Neither one of them spoke. Harry scrambled to his feet and smiled down at her.

"I need a cup of tea. Want some?" Ginny shook her head.

"No thanks. I'll stay here."

"In the mist?"

"At east no one's crying here. And it's quiet. I need to think." He nodded slowly.

"All right. See you later then?"

"Yup."

Harry walked away, leaving Ginny all alone. She didn't feel good, but she couldn't be around the Gryffindor common room. She just needed some privacy.


	6. A silent thought

_Take me away... _

The thought ran inside his head until he thought he would be crazy.

_Go away, you fool, don't just stand there… _

The same voice again. He moaned. Why couldn't his father's voice just leave him alone?

_I hate you, I always will! _

He sat up, ran his fingers through his hair and breathed heavily. The last voice hadn't belonged to his father. It was Ginny's. He sank down on the bed again, reaching for the velvet curtains. He pulled them away and suddenly stared on a stone wall. His dormitory wasn't the nice kind. Cold, draughty, and stone – the three words said it all. He leaned forward, listening. Not a sound. It was too silent for him. He needed sound around him. He got out of bed, and when his feet hit the stone floor, it suddenly occurred to him why it was so silent. It was still night.

He stared without actually seeing on the wall. The cold from the stone floor almost made him shiver; he already had goose bumps on his arms. He stood up, pulled of his pyjama jacket and stood half naked in the silvery moonlight. The goose bumps spread over his upper body, over the shoulders, his back and made every sense stand guard. He shifted position and stretched his arms over his head.

A snoring from one of the other boys scared him half to death. He was so into what he was doing, that his surroundings were dim.

_I hate you, I always will!_

Ginny's voice rung in his head once again. He leaned towards the wall, felt the cold spread through his chest and radiate out from his body. Outside was it winter; the immense cold was everywhere. He put on a sweater and changed his pyjama trousers for a pair of jeans. He didn't even bother to comb his blonde hair. His grey eyes were tired, he _was_ tired, but he couldn't go to sleep again so he could do something else. He wandered around in the Slytherin common room, but the more time he spent there, the more nervous he became.

He couldn't forget the last time he'd seen Ginny.

_Damn it. Why did it have to be this way? _The voice he'd heard inside his head was Ginny's, but she had never actually said them. They were just imagination. And he hoped that they never would go any further than that.

He moaned and was halfway back to his bed when he realised that he wouldn't be able to sleep. He sank down the wall and sitting there with his back against the cold stone, he felt an urge to be close to Ginny.

_Ginny… _he thought, rubbing his eyes. He was tired, he needed to sleep, but he wasn't able to sleep anymore tonight. He stood up, looking at his wristwatch. Ten minutes to five. He yawned, and went back to his dormitory. He took his Potions-essay and sat down in the common room to work with it a little bit more. He was so tired that the letters flew around in front of him, but he couldn't do anything.

A few hours later, his classmates joined him. No one wondered why he sat in the common room doing homework so early in the morning. After a silent breakfast, they had Potions together with the Gryffindors.

Draco met Harry's eyes during one of the tasks Professor Snape had given them. Harry's eyes showed nothing but despite. Suddenly, Draco heard Snape's voice talking.

"Malfoy!" Snape called. Draco looked up, the tiredness making him feel sick.

"Yes, Professor?" he asked tiredly.

"Answer the question, Mr Malfoy", Snape said in a particular nice tone.

"What question, Professor?" Draco said. He could feel the astonished looks from the others.

"The one I just asked", Snape continued, his voice not so very nice now.

"I didn't listen", Draco said.

"No, I've understand that", Snape said coolly. "So then I ask you again. What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" There was silence in the dungeon.

"I don't know", Draco murmured.

"Excuse me?" Snape said.

"I – don't – know", Draco repeated, "And I actually don't care."

"Answer my question, Malfoy."

"NO!" Draco suddenly bellowed, and stood up, leaning against the desk. "I said that I didn't know, and I actually don't care about this damned subject! Ask someone else, won't you, what about Hermione Granger or Harry Potter? Just don't ask me, you old git, you're just being selfish and sour because you're our Potions Master and not the teacher in Defence Against the Dark Arts!"

A ringing silence followed Draco's voice. He breathed heavily and eyed Snape with despite. If they could have done it without getting detention, the class would have clapped their hands. But now, there was no sound in the classroom except Draco's heavily breathing and the sounds Snape made through his nose.

"So…" the Potions Master finally said. "You're heading for detention, Malfoy. A particular nasty one, for standing up against a teacher." Draco looked angrily at him and spat out:

"As if I care!"

"Twoweeks of detention, starting tonight", Snape said and grinned nastily. My office, eight o'clock, Mr Malfoy." Draco looked down on his own hands, they were trembling with fury.

"Class dismissed", Snape hissed, and the class stormed out of the classroom. Draco took time to get out of the dungeon, and saw Harry waiting for him outside.

"What are you doing here?" Draco hissed at him.

"Nice job in there", Harry replied and ignored Draco's hiss. "What was all that about?"

"I didn't sleep so well tonight." Draco said and suddenly, he dropped one of his books.

"Damn it!" he yelled, and kicked the book so that it flew across the corridor and landed with a soft thud on the stairs. "I'm sick of it, Harry, I'm so sick of it! I have to talk with Ginny, but I can't!"

"Take it easy", Harry said lowly. "There's no use in getting detention for it."

"Shut up!" Draco said. "You don't know what it's like."

"This will be on everybody's lips after lunch, you know", Harry said.

"I don't care."

Everyway you turned that afternoon you could hear a rumour about Draco getting in trouble. The Gryffindors were in a state of shock – had Draco finally realised that the Head of the Slytherin House was a total jerk? The Rawenclaws thought the same as the Gryffindors. The Hufflepuffs, on the other hand, didn't say much about anything. They were said to celebrate in their common room.


	7. Confused feelings

Hermione sat on her bed in her dormitory. The other girls she shared her room with weren't there. They had fled somewhere else, after taking one look on her face. She didn't know what to feel. He was dead.

A single tear came down her face. No one had known. She and Viktor Krum had been engaged since the summer after her fifth year on Hogwarts. She had loved him, even though they didn't see each other for months at the time. And now it was over. More and more tears came down her face. She hadn't worn a ring or anything. Viktor had asked for her hand on their way to Bulgaria for the second time, and Hermione had flung her arms around his neck and kissed him.

So, she was young, whatever? Hermione had never felt like this before, not for anyone. Not even for Ron. She sniffed. She'd been crying for over an hour now. She knew that the others wondered how she was. She didn't care. They could wonder for hours if that was the case.

_I don't care_, she thought.

_Why? _she asked herself. _Why don't I care more than that about my friends? _

_You've just lost someone_, a silent voice in her head answered. _Surely they'll understand that. _

_Will they? _she wondered. _I lost Viktor, but no one knew that we loved each other. _The voice in her head fell silent.

_Oh. Well, that does it. Go out._

_Who are you to decide what I'm going to do? _

_It's called a conscience, _the voice replied ironically.

Hermione shook her head. The tears came again.

"My God", she moaned. "I'm hearing voices in my head! I must be turning mad." She couldn't stand the silence in the room anymore. She got up and hurried down the stairs to the Gryffindor common room. With tears coming down her face, she entered. Ron, Ginny and Harry sat together by one of the tables near the fire, talking with their heads together, looking very seriously, but when Ron looked up he caught sight of her, came to his feet and hurried across the room. He embraced her tightly.

"Hermione", he whispered softly in her ear, his breath warm against her skin. She cried even more; the tears wet down his shirt. His embrace tightened, and she found it strangely calming.

"Hermione?" It was Ginny's voice. She looked up and saw the face of Ron's sister. "Herm, I'm sorry", Ginny said, with tears in her eyes. "I didn't realise that… that... you know."

"It's okay", Hermione whispered and freed herself from Ron's embrace. "As a matter of fact, I feel better know after all this crying. And thanks to you guys…"

Harry walked up to them. He leaned forward and hugged her quickly.

"It hurts", he said quietly, "but it'll pass. Just so you know."

Hermione smiled vaguely. "I know, Harry", she replied. "It's just that… it came so quickly."

"I know the feeling", Harry said with a obliquely smile. Ron had a hand on Hermione's shoulder. Ginny noticed the look on her brother's face and the expression in his eyes when he looked at Hermione.

_He's in love_, she thought. _I just hope that he won't do anything now when… _She stopped the thought before it got any further. _Ron's an adult, _she said harmfully to herself. _He knows how to do things. _Then she threw another glance at him. Ron was standing behind Hermione, his hands on her shoulders. He seemed to notice nothing but her. Ginny stared at him for so long that Ron looked up. She looked at him and then to Hermione and back again.

"I know what I'm doing", he mouthed at her. She shook her head slightly, but said nothing. Her glances seemed to say enough.

Later that evening, when Ginny had helped Hermione to bed and talked to her for two hours, Ginny came down to the common room and sank down in one of the armchairs. She hid her face in her hands.

"God", she groaned.

"Am I disturbing you?" A sudden voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked up and saw Harry stand in front of her.

"No", she said. "I'm just thinking about poor Hermione." Harry sat down on the floor next to her armchair, and leaned against it.

"Yeah, I know", he said. "I think about her too." His green eyes meet hers. "Gin, there's something I need to talk to you about."

"Is it Ron?" Ginny said in a low voice. "I've noticed it too, you know, about him and Hermione." Harry looked surprised.

"You didn't mean that", said Ginny. He shook his head.

"No, I didn't." He sighed. "But I've noticed that too. Ginny, what are we going to do? He can't run around being in love with her, not now when she's lost Viktor." Ginny groaned again.

"I _know_! And I don't know how to tell him that."

"Well, we'll do with that later. There was another thing I needed to talk to you about."

"What?"

"About Draco."

"Draco?" Her eyes widened.

"Yeah. His little 'row' with Snape was actually about you." Harry looked away.

"_Me_?"

"Yes. And Gin – as much as I don't like that bloke – he's madly in love with you. He just can't see you because of the other Slytherins."

"I don't love him."

"You do."

"I don't. I never talk about him."

"So? Since when does that matter?"

"I hate him!"

"You don't."

"I DO!" Ginny shouted. Other students in the common room turned around and looked at them. Ginny lowered her voice.

"I hate him, Harry. Tell him that."

"I won't, Ginny. You know why he can't talk to you." Harry stood up, but bended forward so that he came to face her.

"You still love him, and he's madly in love with you. Trust me, Ginny, he told me himself." He kissed her softly on the cheek and hugged her.

"Good night, Gin. You seem tired and the Gods should know that I am."

Ginny sat paralysed in her armchair when Harry walked across the room and climbed the stairs. The kiss on her cheek burned like fire. She got up and went to bed, but she couldn't sleep. All she could think of was Draco Malfoy.


	8. Serious trouble

Draco Malfoy was in serious trouble. He knew it. So did the rest of the school, for that matter. But he was satisfied. For once, he had stood up against someone. A pity it wasn't his father, but Professor Snape would do. For now.

If there was anything, that Draco wanted more than anything else, it was to escape his father's coldness and evilness. He knew that his father was a Death Eater, and somehow – even though how horrible the thought seemed – he had get used to the thought of his father as a killer.

_As long as he doesn't kill someone I love_, he thought miserably,_ then I don't care._ He shuddered at the very thought. _I'm just as cruel as he is_, he thought in dismay. _I hate myself. Ginny doesn't love me either. _

The thought of Ginny seemed stuck in his head. He'd tried everything – yelling, kicking, punching and actually hitting himself in the forehead – but he couldn't stop thinking of her. He'd tried to catch Harry's eyes during the next Potions lesson, but Harry had avoided his glances and had turned to Ron, who seemed to have a lot of trouble with his cauldron.

Suddenly, something snapped Draco back to reality. He realised within a few seconds what it was; Snape had closed the door behind him with a bang, and was now heading for the chair behind his desk.

"Sit down, Malfoy", he snarled. Draco shuddered once more. Snape was actually more hideous than Dolores Umbridge, and that was something.

"Malfoy." Snape's stare made Draco feel uncomfortable.

"Head master", he answered dully. It suddenly occurred to him that two weeks of detention with Snape was what he really didn't want at the moment. He wanted to say so to Snape, but something told him that this wasn't the right moment, and so, he held quiet.

"Two weeks of detention, Malfoy", Snape said coldly. "Surely you understand that I'll have to report this to your family?"

"Yes, sir." Draco's shattered family was one of the things he didn't want to think of.

"Well, I've already figured out a way of punishing you", the Potions master said with a wry smile.

"What is it, sir?" Draco replied.

" I'm going to let you…" The rest of the sentence disappeared into the silence. Draco's eyes widened.

"But… sir…"

"And of course, fifty points will be taken from Slytherin, Malfoy."

"From your own house?"

"Yes, Malfoy, from my own house. Now go."


	9. Draco's detention

Harry was sitting by one of the tables in the library. He had done the homework for the following day, but stared miserably at the pile of books on the desk in front of him. He'd been sitting there for hours. It was almost seven o'clock, and he'd missed dinner. But he didn't mind. He wasn't hungry anyway. He was thinking about all the love trouble the Gryffindors had been experiencing. He hardly noticed when Ron sank down on one of the chairs by the table.

"Hello, mate", Ron said lowly. Harry looked up.

"Hey. What's up?"

"I've been talking to Hermione. She's still upset."

"No wonder", Harry said unenthusiastically and opened up a spell book.

"Did you know that she'd been engaged with Viktor?" Ron whispered and leaned back a bit in his chair.

"No", Harry whispered back, because he, like Ron, saw the outline of the librarian, Madam Pince.

"I wonder if it was You-know-who who killed him."

"Probably. He killed Cedric Diggory."

"Yeah…. Ey, do you know what Draco got for detention?"

"No." Harry gave up trying to read his book. "What?"

"I thought you knew."

"I don't, but since it's Snape who's giving the detention…"

"I wonder what he got."

"Did you know why he got detention, Ron?"

Ron smiled. "Yeah, because he stood up against Snape. My God, I wanted to cheer when he did it!"

"Yes, but do you _know_ why Draco was angry?"

"Should I? I don't know, Harry, maybe he slept badly."

"He loves her. He loves Ginny, Ron, but he cannot talk with her. He's frustrated, angry and… well, a bit thoughtless." Startled, Ron looked at Harry.

"What?" he said. "You're saying that Draco got angry because he-" Ron almost choked on the word – "love her?"

Harry nodded. "Yep", he said. Draco did all that for her. He told me, you know… But I don't think that Ginny actually realises it."

"You couldn't miss it", Ron pointed out. "Everyone talked about Draco standing up to Snape."

"Standing up to him, yeah, but she doesn't realise that he did it for _her_."

"Does she have to?" Ron said and did a face. "I wouldn't like to be the one telling her."

"What about Hermione then?"

"What, you mean telling her?" Ron shook his head. "No way. Not now. Not with Viktor's death and all."

"You're right." Harry sighed. "Well, I guess I'll have to tell her – again."

"What about letting Draco tell her?" Ron suggested.

"Good idea", Harry admitted, "there's just one problem – she won't talk to him."

"Oh." Ron remained quiet for about two minutes. Then he continued: "Why won't she talk to him?"

"Draco can't tell her how he feels because he doesn't dare speak with her –"

"Doesn't _dare_?"

"-since he's afraid of the Slytherins shutting him out."

"Shutting him out?" Ron almost shouted. "Why?" he continued in a whispering tone when Madam Pince looked up angrily.

"Because she's a Gryffindor, Ron", Harry said irritably. "Use your common sense."

"Don't have one", Ron answered and grinned broadly. Harry ignored him.

"I think there's another thing too. It might be the fact that she's a… well, don't be upset, Ron…"

"Because she's a…_ what_?"

"A _Weasley_. I'm sorry, Ron, but the fact remains that the Slytherins don't like your family."

Ron stared at him.

"It's true!" Harry protested. "They don't like me either!"

"The library's closing now", Madam Pince said behind them. "Leave, please."

Harry stuffed all his books into his bag, Ron sat still and just stared at him.

"C'mon", Harry said. "Let's go."

Ron came to his feet. They walked slowly towards the Gryffindor tower, but when they passed the boys' bathroom on the sixth floor, someone came stumbling out of the passageway between the bathroom and the marble staircase leading up to the seventh floor. When Harry realised who it was, he felt sick.

The tall, before so handsome young man, was battered. One of his grey eyes was bung up, he was black and blue. He hobbled, his blonde hair greasy, bloody and came into his eyes when he tried to walk straight. Suddenly he stopped, and vomited on the floor. Then he fell. Harry hurried forwards. He caught him before he hit the wall.

"Draco!" he urged, "C'mon, Draco, say something." The Slytherin looked at him with unseeing eyes.

"Malfoy, what happened?" Draco tried to open his mouth, but instead of speaking, he coughed blood on Harry's robe. Ron just stared at Draco, unable of moving.

"Ron, help!" Harry hissed. Ron helped him lift Draco, and together they carried him down to the second floor, where the Hospital Wing was located. Madam Pomfrey nearly fainted when she saw Draco.

"Poor boy! What have you done to him?" she screamed.

"We've done nothing!" Ron exclaimed. "We found him on the sixth floor." Harry couldn't say anything. He stared on Draco's white face, saw the blood stains on his robe, and suddenly a nasty thought hit him.

"He's hurt", he said, his voice high-pitched.

"Yes, of course he's hurt, what did you think?" Madam Pomfrey said angrily.

"No, I mean… look at his robe!" Harry had noticed a pool of blood on the floor; the blood was dripping.

"Oh my God", Madam Pomfrey said lowly. "Quickly, go get the Head Master."

"But…"

"Now!" Both Ron and Harry ran through the corridors, avoiding the ghosts, they ran past Peeves without even seeing him, and directly to Dumbledore's office. Harry knocked on the door, crying "Sir!". Suddenly the door opened, and Dumbledore came out, hurrying past them.

"Sir, Malfoy's…"

"I know, Harry, the ghosts told me. Hurry up!" Ron and Harry ran after Dumbledore back to the Hospital Wing. Before they reached the doors of the Hospital Wing, Dumbledore stooped, turned around, and said:  
"Harry, listen. And you too, Ronald. Whatever happened to Draco Malfoy, will not happen again. Go find Professor McGonagall, she needs to know. And then go straight up to bed and stay there. All right?" They nodded. Albus Dumbledore nodded back, and then closed the door to the Hospital Wing behind them. Harry felt an unmentionable fear clench around his heart. What if Malfoy died?


End file.
